TODAY BRIAN SLOCUM SHOWS US HOW POPULAR PIEDMONT PLACES PREPARE FOR THE WORST TO KEEP THOUSANDS SAFE. THE CAROLINA WARM SEASON...WHEN MOTHER NATURE OFFERS UP SOME OF THE BEST... AND SOME OF THE FASTEST CHANGING WEATHER AROUND... WEATHER CHANGES THAT OFTEN GIVE BIG HEADACHES TO EVENT ORGANIZERS. PREPARING FOR THE WEATHER'S WORST CAN BE A BIG CHALLENGE...MUCH MORE SO WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO KEEP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SAFE... AUGUST 2011...THE INDIANA STATE FAIR...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COMES OUT OF NOWHERE ... IT'S POWERFUL WINDS COLLAPSE THE MAIN STAGE...KILLING FIVE AND INJURING FORTY MORE...THE TWELVE THOUSAND CONCERT- GOERS WERE WARNED AND GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS WHERE TO GO BUT JUST MOMENTS BEFORE THE STORM HIT ... THE OUTDOOR VENUE WAS TRASNFORMED INTO A DISASTER ZONE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WE ARE KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE RYAN MANUEL HAS BEEN PART OF WINSTON-SALEM BASEBALL FOR FIFTEEN YEARS. HE SAYS THE DASH, WITH HELP FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES, DREW UP WITH EXTENSIVE RESPONSE PLANS TO ALL KINDS OF EMERGENCIES ...INCLUDING THREATENING WEATHER. EACH SPRING...BASEBALL FANS FLOCK TO STADIUMS AROUND THE COUNTRY... AT THE SAME TIME SEVERE STORM SEASON GETS UNDERWAY. THIS FRIGHTENING PHOTO OF A NORTH TEXAS TORNADO WAS TAKEN IN EARLY APRIL. A CLEAR FUNNEL HANGS OMINOUSLY NEAR A BALLPARK WITH PLAYERS ON THE FIELD AND FANS IN THE STANDS. NOBODY WAS INJURED IN THE STORM, AND THE FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS DECIDED TO POSTPONE THEIR SEASON OPENER SOON AFTER THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN...BUT DID THAT DECISION COME TOO LATE? WE HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY AS A UNIVERSITY...AS AN ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT BAD WEATHER WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUTSIDE BUT EY'RE HOSTING OAS OF PEOPLE AT YOU TDOOR EVENT THE PLANNING FOR SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLITIES HAS TO BEGIN LONG FORE FANS ARE IN E SEATS. WAKE RESTNIVERSITY CONDUCTS EMEENCY DRILLS IN E OFFEASON... IT GIVES US AN PORNITY TO WALK THROUGH A SEVERE ATHER INCIDENT IN A NON-HEAT-OF-THE- MOMTYPE OF SITUATION AND REALLY ALUATE O OCESSES... IN THE YS AND HOURS LEADING UP TO GAMETIME ...THE ATHER IS CLOSELY NITORED. DURING E EVENT - SRMS ARE ON RADAR 30 LES AWAY...THE WAKE FOREST STAFF BEGINS TO GET THE WORD OUT A ANNOUNCER IN ENING CL/"...ASK ALL SPECTATORS TO CLEAR THE EHS... THANK U FOR YOUR COOPERATION NOW STORMS A 15 MILES OUT...FAN AMS, AND GAME FICIALS ARE ALL TIFIED THAT ROUGH ATHER IS COMING. LUNTEER EVACUAON BEGINS. WHEN WE GET TO THAT 12-MILE MARK...THIS IS NO LONGER REALLY LUNTARY..WE'RE STRONGL COURAGING FAN TO LEAVE THE SEATING BOWL. WHEN A DANGEROUS STORM IS EIGHT MILES AWAY, THE GAME IS STOPPED AND THE STADIUM IS CLEARED UNTIL IT'S SAFE TO PLAY AGAIN... THE IDEA IS TO BE AS PREPARED S YOU CAN POSSIBLY BE KNOWING THAT THE WEATHER IS UNPREDICTABLE AND WHAT 30 THOUSAND FANS MAY DO CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE BUTT SOT TO/10:03:21- 32 WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT EVERYBODY CAN COME HERE AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE PLANS IN PLACE SO THAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG...THEY WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF.